Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Tuvalu instead of United States, you would:
Health
live 11.6 years less
In United States, the average life expectancy is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Tuvalu, that number is 67 years (64 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024.
be 58.9% more likely to be obese
In United States, 41.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Tuvalu, that number is 65.1% of people as of 2024.
see 87.6% less spent on your healthcare
United States spends $13,473 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Tuvalu spends $1,671 as of 2023.
have 63.4% fewer doctors per person
United States has 36.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Tuvalu has 13.5 as of 2020.
have 39.5% less access to essential health services
United States scores 86 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Tuvalu scores 52 as of 2021.
Economy
be 74.2% more likely to live below the poverty line
In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Tuvalu, however, that number is 26.3% as of 2010.
make 93.3% less money
United States has a GDP per capita of $90,027 as of 2025, while in Tuvalu, the GDP per capita is $6,041 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.1 times more children
In United States, there are approximately 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Tuvalu, there are 22.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 10.0 times more likely to die during childbirth
In United States, approximately 17.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Tuvalu, 170.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.0 times more likely to die during infancy
In United States, approximately 5.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Tuvalu, on the other hand, 16.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 14.3% less likely to have internet access
In United States, approximately 94.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Tuvalu, about 81.2% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 2.4 times more on education
United States spends 5.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Tuvalu spends 12.8% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 62.3% more on healthcare
United States spends 16.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Tuvalu, that number is 27.1% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 99.9% less coastline
United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Tuvalu, that number is 24 km.
Safety
be 26.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In United States, road accidents kill 14.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Tuvalu, they kill 17.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 88.4% less home broadband
United States has 38.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Tuvalu has 4.5 as of 2022.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021–2022), The World Factbook (2010), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: United States vs. Tuvalu
Tuvalu: At a glance
How big is Tuvalu compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.